Chapter 2
Jack made her way inside the bar. Kaidan had chosen some dive Jack had never heard of. She frowned when she saw a band playing music on a small stage. And apparently even this bar couldn't escape the onslaught of Christmas decorations.. But her spirits lifted a bit when she saw Miranda sitting at high chaired table by herself. Lawson wore her usual catsuit. Jack was happy to see she hadn't dressed up. She strolled over to Miranda's table and took a seat.
"Hello Jack." Miranda said with a straight face. But her words were slightly slurred.
"What's up Cheerleader?"
"Kaidan is getting us another round." Miranda slumped forward a bit.
Jack chuckled. "You alright? Looks like you two started without me."
Miranda ignored Jack's question. "You look nice."
"Uh thanks. How much have you drank?" Jack asked as she eyed the empty shot glasses on the table and hoped that the majority were Alenko's.
Miranda shrugged. "Don't know." Lawson's eyes ran up and down Jack and rested on Jack's chest.
Jack lifted Miranda's head up. "Eyes are up her Princess. Fuck, you're drunk. You don't want Kaidan knowing remember."
"We don't want Kaidan knowing what?" Alenko asked as he slammed a tray of fresh drinks on the table.
"That Jack is...a liability." Miranda's insult didn't sound particularly convincing.
Jack rolled her eyes and took a drink.
"It's Christmas eve Miranda. I don't care what you two think of each other tonight you're getting along." Kaidan patted Jack on the back. "Great to see you could make it. How did your aunt like your present?"
"She was overjoyed." Jack said in a monotone. "Now shut up and drink."
All three took shots and slammed the glasses back on to the table top. Kaidan shook his head. "Canadian whiskey. Nothing better." He said. "So Jack, what made you of all people join us."
"Shit day, shit week. Figured some drinks might cheer me up. Regardless of the company."
Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, this week really made me miss the Normandy."
Jack focused on the large vidscreen above the Alliance news network was reporting.
"Just months after the end of the Reaper war the Illium based cruise ship "The Athame's Dream" has announced plans to launch it's first cruise since the end of the war."
Jack shook her head. "That's bullshit. Half the fucking solar system is still in ruins and a bunch of rich assholes can't wait to be going on vacation."
"Well things have to go back to normal some time." Kaidan said.
"How can they?" Jack asked.
She and Miranda locked eyes for a moment before Lawson looked away and grabbed a fresh drink. After several more shots all three were sufficiently drunk. But Jack seemed to hold her liquor better than Alenko and Miranda. At the moment Kaidan's eyes were half open and Miranda had her head flat on the table.
Lawson lifted her head. "Ladies room now, Jack." She said drunkenly.
Jack laughed and got to her feet. "Alright, let's go Princess."
"I'll be here." Kaidan muttered apparently too intoxicated to find Miranda's request strange.
As they walked to the restroom Miranda took hold of Jack's hand. Jack tried to pry free and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kaidan wasn't watching. But Miranda wouldn't let go. The couple hurried inside the bathroom and Miranda finally let the woman's hand free.
"Are you gonna throw up?" Jack asked. Miranda didn't answer. Instead she lunged forward and caught Jack's lips in a sloppy kiss. Jack squealed in surprise as she was pinned against the wall but quickly began kissing her back. Miranda pawed at Jack's jacket in an attempt to strip the biotic. That's when Jack forced them apart. "We're not fucking in the bathroom."
"Why not?" Miranda asked.
"Kaidan could figure this out and I know how much it means to you to keep this shit a secret. Tomorrow you'll regret it."
"Since when did you care about tomorrow?"
"Since the first night we had sex." Jack said wishing she hadn't as soon as it left her lips.
Miranda narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"Fuck, never mind."
Miranda stumbled a bit and steadied herself on the woman. "Jack, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Miranda straighten her posture. And tried her best to put on a sober face. "Talk to me Jack. It feels like you have something to say to me."
Jack sighed and looked to her feet. "I care about you okay. You're about the only good thing in my life right now."
Miranda's face twisted into and expression Jack couldn't read. "I...I see."
"What the hell does that mean?" Jack was angry. She expected a very different reply. She made a note to never again discuss her feelings with Miranda or anyone.
"Don't be angry Jack." Miranda hugged her unexpectedly. "You're a good friend."
"Whatever Cheerleader."
"We can discuss this later in private. I need to talk with you anyway remember. But I fear I am not in my right mind at the moment."
"No shit." Jack said as they separated. "Now can we get out of the bathroom. Kaidan is gonna start wondering what we're doing in here."
Miranda nodded and they made their way back out. Kaidan was still slouched at their table. The man perked up when he saw they had returned. "Ladies, would anyone care to dance?"
"I'm good." Jack said as she took a seat.
"Sure." Miranda said and took the man's hand and lead them out to the small dance. The band began to play a cover of Varrencages's "Let It Up, Let It In". Jack couldn't pry her eyes from the dancing pair as she finished off the Canadian whiskey. Miranda and Kaidan danced drunkenly. Jack would have laughed if she wasn't so upset. The first time she's honest with her feelings and what does she get back. "I see" and "You're a good friend." Miranda let her down. But she was more angry with herself for even putting herself in that situation. Sometimes she hated what she's become. Before Shepard she was unstoppable. She relied only on herself and didn't get attached to anything. Everyone had either left her, betrayed her, or used her. Shepard had been different and to an extent so had Miranda. But She sure felt used by the woman now.
She was beginning to see that she was nothing more than Miranda's fuck toy that she pretended didn't exist once she was done playing with her. Jack groaned and put her head in her hands. This was bullshit, she and Miranda had only been doing this for a month. It wasn't nearly enough time to be feeling as strongly as she was for the woman.
She blamed this damn holiday. Everyone at work all week had not shut up about their families and friends and their holiday plans. Jack only had Miranda. She focused back on Miranda as Kaidan twirled her under his arm. The bartender came over to the table and brought a fresh tray of drinks that he placed on the table without taking his eyes off Miranda.
"Hey, you mind telling the pretty dark haired girl that this is on me?" The bartender said.
Jack gritted her teeth. "Walk away from this table before I smear you all over the wall." The bartender practically sprinted back behind the bar.
The song finished and Miranda and Kaidan returned to their table. Kaidan looked much worse than he was minuets prior. "I think I might need to call it a night ladies. Can you two find your way back home alright?"
"Yeah, I'll take care of the Cheerleader. Thanks for the drinks Kaidan." Jack said.
"Anytime Jack. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas." Jack said awkwardly.
Kaidan left them alone and Miranda picked up a fresh drink and began sipping. "Deja vu." Miranda said drunkenly.
Jack chuckled. "Yeah. Come on Miranda, let's get you home."
Miranda slung her arm over Jack's shoulder and they made their way outside into the cold winter's night. They piled into Jack's skycar and the biotic set the auto pilot to Lawson's apartment. The only location saved besides her own home. Once they arrived Jack dragged Lawson and her present through the familiar trek to Miranda's apartment. She entered the unlock code and dragged her inside. A tiny Christmas tree sat in the corner of the small apartment with one present resting underneath. Jack placed Miranda's present under the tree and guided Lawson to the bed.
Miranda began to shed her clothes as she started planting kisses on Jack. The biotic was upset but she wasn't about to deny herself this. Jack kissed her back and tugged Miranda out of her catsuit as Lawson pulled Jack's pants down. A gentle biotic pulse sent Jack on to her back on Miranda's bed. Lawson reached into her bedside table and removed the device Jack usually wore during their nights together. Miranda secured it to her hips. Jack licked her lips, Miranda had refrained from using the strap-on herself before and Jack was eager to be the reciever for once.
Miranda's hands fell on Jack's inner thighs and slowly seperated her legs. The raven haired woman scotted forward a bit, the tip of the dildo brushed against Jack's engorged folds and made the biotic whimper with anticipation. Miranda thrusted inside her. Her pumps slowly building speed, each pump followed by a grunt of effort from Miranda. The sensation transmitter activated and Miranda's pumps stalled for a moment as she was hit with the overwelming sense of pleasure and foreign feeling of the device buried inside of her lover. Soon Lawson adjusted to the feeling of having the temporary part and regained her speed. Quickly Jack found her anger dissipating as Miranda continued to thrust into her.
"God fuck me Miranda." Jack cried out. As her anger left it was replaced with the feelings for the woman she had been trying to get rid of for weeks. Jack was falling in love with Miranda and given their arrangement, that couldn't happen. Jack placed her hands on to Miranda's ass as she continued to sway her hips back and forth. As she continued to ride towards climax Jack knew that there was no way for this to continue without accepting the fact that she had fallen for Lawson. But she also knew Miranda would never feel the same way. She just hoped that by tomorrow morning Miranda wouldn't remember her confession back at the bar. And that everything could just go back to normal.
Jack pushed the emotions out of her head and focused on the pleasure Miranda was giving her. Jack bit down on her lower lip. "Harder!" She demanded and Miranda did as commanded. "Oh Fuck!" She shut her eyes and cried out as she came. Lawson continued fucking her for a few moments longer sending Jack into a another fit of pleasure as Miranda's own orgasm rocked her she cried out Jack's name. For a moment Miranda stayed buried inside Jack as the two woman's chests heaved while they gasped for air. eventually she pulled out and tossed the strap-on aside. She laid beside Jack and pulled the covers over both of them.
"Was that alright?" Miranda asked.
Jack nodded, "Alright? That was fucking incredible." she said before rolling over next to her lover. She draped her arm across Miranda and Lawson accepted the embrace. They usually just fell asleep with their backs to each other after they had sex but tonight was different. "We need to talk about us." Miranda said.
"Not now Cheerleader. Just shut up and fall asleep."
"We need to talk about seeing other people." Miranda's voice was still slightly slurred but she seemed to have regained some sobriety.
Jack shot up. "What? You've been with someone else? Who?! Kaidan?"
"Calm down!"
"This is bullshit!" Jack got out of bed and began collecting her clothes.
"I don't want to see anyone but you." Miranda said.
Jack stopped and turned. "What?"
"Our arrangement is simple. That's how it needs to stay and it's how I want it to stay. But we never discussed seeing other people. I'd like that to not happen."
Jack dropped her clothes and sat on the end of the bed. "So what, you want us to be a couple?" She asked trying to hide how much she wanted Miranda to say yes.
"I want things to stay as they are. We can't be a couple Jack. You know that just as well as I do."
"I'm not so sure anymore Miranda."
Miranda leaned forward and ran her hand through Jack's hair. "What do you mean?"
"Forget it. Let's just go to bed." Jack said as she settled back under the covers next to Miranda.
"Tomorrow we have the day off. We still on for spending Christmas together?"
"Who the fuck else would I spend it with?" And with that Jack closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Notes- Okay cards on the table, this chapter went through a huge rewrite so if there was a problem please tell me so I can fix it. Sorry this took so long. I just got back from a weekend in Florida and then I had writer's block. I already have some work done on Chapter 3 so the wait won't be as long.